Lid opener for containers



Feb. 17, 1948. J. W. BRISTOW LID OPENER FOR CONTAINERS- Filed March 26, 1.946

I121! ezmz JEEP zjaivw Patented Feb. 17, 1948 TED STATES PATENT F Fl CE LID OPENER FOR CONTAINERS John Wilmington Bristow, Birmingham, England; assignorof one-half to Arthur Bertram Sole, Junior, Beckenham, England Application M r h 26, 1946, Serial No. 657,127 In'Gr eat Britain February 3, 1945 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hollow containers, cans,tins and thelike, particularly of the kind having-afianged lid which is-adapted to be secured in position when-pressed into the upper end of the container.

Containers of this character usually possess the disadvantage that when-it is desired to open the container-ithe lid cannot 'be'removedwithout the use-of some external instrument or tool, such as a screw-driver,by which theflanged lid must be levered' up and loosened from 'the 'bo'dyof-the container.

According to the present invention, however, a hollow container is provided having a flanged lid adapted to maketight contact with the container and rotatably mounted means which is adapted to bringabout the interengagement of co-operating members provided on the container and lid respectively, so asto cause said'lid to be loosened from the container;

According to the preferred arrangement, the aforesaid meanspreferably'comprises an annular member rotatably mounted on the end of the container adapted to-receivethe lid, said annular member-being provided with oneermore projections or raised portions which are-adapted to co-operate with corresponding projections or indentations on thesaid lid.

This annular member' preferably comprises a ring having an inwardly projecting flange which carries saidprojections or raised portions and is disposed immediately below the flange of said lidwhereby rotation of saidring causes said projections-or raised portionsto engage with the projections or indentations formed on the flange of the lid so as to cause the lid to be pushed upwards.

The invention will be more completely understood from the following detailed description which is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a plan view oi the lid of a container constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the container with the lid mounted in the closed position;

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the upper portion of the container with the lid in the loosened position; and

Figure 4 hows a plan view of the container with the lid removed.

Referring now to these drawings, the container consists of a hollow metal can or tin l, of cylindrical shape having a, lip or beading 2 at the open end and an inwardly projecting flange 3 intowhichthe base evotthe lid 'is adapted-to fit so as to make tight contact. .Rotatably mounted on the lip orbeading z, is a ring member 5 which is located in position onthe container by bending or crimping its-lower edge in such a way that it curls over the liponbeading 2. The ring memher is thu permanently-securedtothe container but is free to rotate on thecontainer about its longitudinal axis, ring member has an in-, wardly projecting flange 6, which substantially covers the flange 3 and.,makes contact with it. This flange 6, is provided on its upper side with three equally spaced upstanding raised members 1, these members beingof. wedgceshaped formation with inclined .faces, the thickest portion being at the centre, The outside of the ring member 5, ispre ferably knurled and may besuitably marked to indicate thatthisring should be rotated in order to. raisethelid, The latter hasan outwardly projecting flange 8, which substantially covers thetlangc 6, when the lid is in the closed position on the container, and this flange 8 is provided with three equally spaced projections or indentations 9, which project downwardly and make contact with the upper surface of the flange 6, whenthe lid is pressed into the closed position, the, lid being so. positioned that these downwardlyprojecting indentations 9 are disposed at pointsintermediate the upstanding raised members 1, on the fl nge 6.

It will be seen that with this arrangement when it is desired to loosen or-remove the lid, if the ring-member 5 isrotatedi either direction the sloping face of the raised members I, carried by thefiange 6, will engage with they downwardly projetting indentations 9 on the flange of the lid and that if rotation of the ring member 5 is- OOH? tinued, these raisedgmembers l willv slide under theindentations sand cause thelid toibe forced upwards whence itimay bereadily removed with out difiiculty; v v

This ar an ement has; the dr ntaee that n external instrument is-req uired toremove the lid and, furthermore, the lid. after, being removed my b p a l d and eainremo a Often as desired without detriment to; t form. h pe of the lid.

It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited to the particular construction hereinbefore described, and that it is capable of many and varied modifications. For example, while it is preferred to provide the ring member and the lid with three co-operating members for loosening the lid when the ring member is rotated, it is to be understood body portion having an open end, an inwardly i projecting flange formed on said body portion at said open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to fit i to sa open end so as to make tight contact with said flange, a beading formed on said body portion round the open end thereof, an annular member rotatably mounted on said beading, said annular member also having an inwardly projecting flange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively,

when said lid isin the" closed position, a set of downwardly extending projections on the flange of said lid, and a set of upstanding projections on the inwardly projecting flange of said annular member disposed intermediate the projections on theflange ofsaid-lid, whereby rotation of said annular member causes said upstanding projections toslide under said downwardly extending wardly projecting flange to slide under said set of projecting members on the flange of said lid, so as to cause said lid to become loosened.

- 4. Hollow container comprising a cylindrical body portion having an open end, a flange formed on said body portion at said open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to fit into said open end so as to make tight contact with said flange, an annular member rotatably mounted on a locating guide on said body portion, said annular member having an inwardly projecting flange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively, a downwardly extending projecting'member disposed on the flange of said lid and an upstanding projecting member disposed on said inwardly projecting flange, whereby rotation of said annular member causes the proprojections soas to cause said lid to be pushed upwards. V ,7

2. Hollow container comprising a cylindrical body portionhaving. an open end, an inwardly projecting flange formed on said body portion at said open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to fit into said open end sofas to make tight contact with said flange, a beading formed on said body portion round the open end thereof, an annular member rotatably mounted on said beading, said annular member also having an inwardly projectingflange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively,

when said lid, is in the closed position, a set of downwardly extending indentations on the flange of said lid, and a set of raised members on the inwardly projecting flange of said annular mem- 3. Hollow container comprising a cylindrical body portion having an open end, a flange formed on said bodyportion atsaid open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to flt intosaidopen end so as to make tight. contact with said flange, an annular member rotatably mounted on a locating guide on said body portion", said annular member having an inwardly projecting flange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively, a set of downwardly extending projecting members disposed on the flange of saidlid and a set of upstanding project ing members disposed on said inwardly projecting flange, whereby rotation of said annular member causes said set of projecting members on said in jecting member on said inwardly projecting flange to slide under the projecting member on the flange of said lid so as to cause said lid to become loosened.

5.- Hollow container comprising a cylindrical body portion having an open end, a flange formed on said body portion at said open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to fit intojsaid open end so as to make tight contact with said flange, a rotatably mounted annular member having an inwardly projecting flange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively, a set of downwardly projecting members disposed on said inwardly projecting flange, and a set of upstanding projecting members disposed on the flange of said body portion, whereb rotation of said annular member causes said set of projecting members on said inwardly projecting flange to slide over said set of projecting members on the flange of said body portion so as to cause said lid to become loosened.

6. Hollow container comprising a cylindrical body portion having an open end, a flange formedv on said body portion at said open end, a circular flanged lid adapted to fit into said open end so as to make tight contact with said flange, a rotatably mounted annular member having an inwardly projecting flange disposed between the flanges formed on said lid and said body portion respectively, a downwardly projecting member disposed on said inwardly projecting flange, and an upstanding projecting member disposed on the flange of said body portion, whereby rotation of said annular member causes said projecting memher on said inwardly projecting flange to slide over said projecting member on the flange of said body portion so as to causesaid lid to become loosened.

- JOHN WINNINGTON BRISTOW.

REFERENCES .crrnp The following references are of record in the Great Britain June 16, 1921 

